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Reproductive Health Rights of Individuals with HIV

Reproductive Health Rights of Individuals with HIV. Reproductive Rights of People with HIV.

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Reproductive Health Rights of Individuals with HIV

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  1. Reproductive Health Rights of Individuals with HIV

  2. Reproductive Rights of People with HIV “Because of the stigma and discrimination so often attached to HIV, it is particularly important that health service providers be able to protect the reproductive rights of women living with HIV. These rights include having access to sexual and reproductive health services and sexuality education, being able to choose a partner, deciding whether to be sexually active or not and deciding freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children. Women also have the right to make these decisions free of discrimination, coercion and violence.” Source: WHO and UNFPA, 2006.

  3. Protecting RH Rights of Clients with HIV Many, including providers, assume that clients with HIV: • Will not or should not have sexual relations • Should not have children As a result, these clients are often denied: • Information and services to prevent pregnancy • Information on safe pregnancy, PMTCT, and access to quality antenatal and obstetric care

  4. Protecting RH Rights of Clients with HIV continued ... In societies where couples are expected to produce children, HIV-positive individuals who opt to have none must contend with: • Social disapproval of being childless • Suspicions and prejudice about HIV status Protecting the reproductive rights of individuals with HIV is a critical human rights issue.

  5. Clients’ Family Planning Rights All individuals and couples have the right to: • Access information and services • Choose from a variety of contraceptive methods • Make an informed, voluntary choice of method • Receive their method of choice Clients should be supported in exercising their reproductive rights, regardless of their HIV status.

  6. Factors Affecting Sexual and Reproductive Health Decisions • Health/well-being of self, partner, children • Access to ARV therapy • Fears related to disclosing HIV status (rejection, violence, financial loss) • Knowledge about contraceptives (including cultural myths and misconceptions) • Stigma regarding condom use • Gender issues/partner opposition

  7. Ensuring Informed Choice Effective counselors: • Listen carefully • Empathize with client • Help clients make their own decisions • Are not influenced by personal biases • Provide accurate information

  8. Providers cannot and should not make decisions for their clients. Clients’ rights to make their own decisions must be respected, even if you do not personally agree with their choices or do not condone their behavior.

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